27Aug2010 14Z Daily GRIP Telecon - Michael Goodman

27Aug2010 14Z Daily GRIP Telecon - Michael Goodman

Global Hawk Report

• Aircraft – green 
  • Saturday – 18hr science flight into H. Frank in the EPac ; 13Z (6a local) flight
  • HAMSR would like a sonde near water; looking for a flight plan near a 00Z Vandenberg launch
• Droposonde – red
  • 1^st sonde launch good; 2^nd sonde did not launch because pin release in launch tube stuck (perhaps vacuum pressure against the pin) – might need a redesign of a solenoid.  Low altitude test was at 15K ft
  • Engineers understand the cause of the error but still working on the fix
  • Confirmed that the pin will fail with >14 oz of pressure.  Ordered a new solenoid with a stronger pull mechanism
  • Re-fly of Low Altitude dropsonde test flight is tbd
  • COA to drop in the Gulf and Atlantic is approved.  Can still drop sondes in Pacific in international waters but seeking COA for Pacific in US territories
• HAMSR – green.  Interested in validation data with drops or radiosondes
• LIP - green
• HIWRAP – yellow
  • but can still fly; HIWRAP pulled from Global Hawk today for yesterday but will be reinstalled on Friday for Saturday’s flight.

WB-57 Report

• Aircraft – green  
• HIRAD - green
  • HIRAD arrived on Tuesday
  • Checkout flight (3hr) on Friday
  • Calm waters over a buoy at different altitudes
  • Decision to suitcase will be made on Saturday; Fly precipitation WB-57 suitcase flights will be out of MacDill AFB, Tampa FL
• NAST-I delayed until next week.
• NAST-I will not be onboard for the test Friday flight.  The piggybacking ground rules for NAST-I are such that it will not impact HIRAD.  No separate test flights will be done for NAST-I.

DC8 Report

• Aircraft– green. 
  • Suitcase flight to STX on Saturday
  • LASE – green.
• LARGE – green.
• APR2 – green.
• DAWN – yellow.
  • Successfully collected data during the 24Aug flight but the wind retrievals are still being analyzed and processed
  • Found a solution from U,V,W components of the wind
• Microphysics – green
  • PIP re-installed but comm flights; to be resolved during 28Aug flight.
  • CSI cannot fly for the duration of GRIP
• MMS – green.
• Dropsonde – green.

Science

• Suitcase flight to STX beginning this Saturday.  Targeting now TS Earl which will most likely by H. Earl when we fly on Sun/Mon. Hopeful to catch a sequence of Cat 1 to Cat 2 intensification.
• Planning on a rotated fig-4 with long legs in TS/H Earl
• 10am (14Z) ferry - 2.5 hr flight to STX; For a period during the ferry there will be straight and level flights at 10K altitude for DAWN
• Discussion about night landings at STX and that should can be done but not preferred.  Will adjust departures on Sunday and Monday to land before dark.

• GH science flight on Saturday (6a local / 13Z departure) to a weakening H. Frank in the EPac.  Concerned that cloud top are to high/vigorous for this first flight.  Current GH rule is not to fly over tops < -50K